Preview — 1939
by Richard Overy

1939: Countdown To War

A leading historian re-creates the final hours of peace in Europe. On August 24, 1939, the world held its collective breath as Hitler and Stalin signed the now infamous nonaggression pact, signaling an imminent invasion of Poland and daring Western Europe to respond. In this dramatic account of the final days before the outbreak of World War II, award-winning historian RA leading historian re-creates the final hours of peace in Europe. On August 24, 1939, the world held its collective breath as Hitler and Stalin signed the now infamous nonaggression pact, signaling an imminent invasion of Poland and daring Western Europe to respond. In this dramatic account of the final days before the outbreak of World War II, award-winning historian Richard Overy vividly chronicles the unraveling of peace, hour by grim hour, as politicians and ordinary citizens brace themselves for a war that could spell the end of European civilization. Nothing was entirely predictable or inevitable. The West hoped that Hitler would see sense if they stood firm. Hitler was convinced the West would back down. Moments of uncertainty alternated with those of confrontation; secret intelligence was used by both sides to support their hopes. The one constant feature was the determination of Poland, a country created only in 1919, to protect its newfound independence against a vastly superior enemy. "1939" documents a defining moment in the violent history of the twentieth century....more

Community Reviews

Very short overview of the year of chamberlain's calamity. Goes through all the paces 1,2,3 but no spice If one is interested in events immediately leading up to the declaration of war then this is the book for you

Written in 2009, 80 years after the start of the Second World War, Richard Overy tries to answer why - 25 years after the Great War - Europe went to war again by covering the last final 9 days before the start of the war in September 1939.

Hitler wanted war. The Allies tried desperatedly to prevent war. That is the overall consensus between historians and the general view of the public. But why, after the horrors of 1914-1918, was there not yet another peaceful solution?

Hitler wanted a war, but wWritten in 2009, 80 years after the start of the Second World War, Richard Overy tries to answer why - 25 years after the Great War - Europe went to war again by covering the last final 9 days before the start of the war in September 1939.

Hitler wanted war. The Allies tried desperatedly to prevent war. That is the overall consensus between historians and the general view of the public. But why, after the horrors of 1914-1918, was there not yet another peaceful solution?

Hitler wanted a war, but wanted a local war. Untill the end, he was convinced the British and French were bluffing and when the invasion of Poland started, would back down. After his agreement with Stalin he thought he had established this and hoped the British-French-Polish alliance would shatter.

But the reverse happened. France and Britain stated in a mutual protection pact that they would declare war, forcing Hitler to cancel his invasion plans on the 24th of August.

The Allies were convinced that the only way to contain Hitler was to remain steadfast, without concessions to Hitler, hoping that he would - at the last moment - agree to a conference where the problem of Danzig would be solved peacefully.

In the finals days of peace a frantic diplomacy was establish by the British and French. Based upon false intelligence that the position of Hitler was threatened and discontent between the German generals, they thougt Hitler would back down. But the only effect on Hitler was to convince him that the British wanted to desperatedly avoid war at all costs, and therefore once the invasion was underway, they would back down and not declare war.

So why did war broke out? First of all, Hitler was convinced that Poland was worth to be conquered and he didnt understand why Britain and France wanted to risk war for it. He simply made a gamble that the Allies would not declare war, and lost. The Allies on the other hand, thought the only way to have Hitler back down was to not make any concessions. On top of that, there was a growing concern in the British and French population that Germany was a threat to the way international politics was managed en they felt responsible to keep the democratic values in place....more

I started reading this because I want some background information for my novel. It's like history readings assigned in class, but it does a good job explaining how the war started, and what stand each side took from the beginning to the end (of the start of war). Sometimes the facts and numbers can get a bit dry but the conclusion part sums everything up in a simple way.

This is a very quick read, worthwhile for anyone interested in the thinking of Hitler, as well as the leaders of the English, French, and Poles, in the week immediately preceeding the breakout of World War II. Hitler was determined to have Danzig and his Polish corridor, and was willing to believe that the French and British would back down rather than enter into a war over the matter. The British and French, on the other hand, hoped that their strong stance in support of Poland, and their stateThis is a very quick read, worthwhile for anyone interested in the thinking of Hitler, as well as the leaders of the English, French, and Poles, in the week immediately preceeding the breakout of World War II. Hitler was determined to have Danzig and his Polish corridor, and was willing to believe that the French and British would back down rather than enter into a war over the matter. The British and French, on the other hand, hoped that their strong stance in support of Poland, and their stated committment to support of the Polish state would deter Hitler. Both sides, and Overy shows, were mistaken in their thinking, and the diplomatic exchanges proved ineffective. Reading about the thinking of both sides in the leadup to WW II was both informative and interesting. ...more

A highly readable, fast-paced historical examination of the events leading up to the outbreak of WWII, written by a most esteemed scholar on the subject. It reads like a thriller, and beyond the obvious reasons that it is one, it is well laid out, highly descriptive, and full of insights into the personalities and events that shaped the outbreak of war. Highly recommended - and it won't take you three days to read it!

We all know how World War II started. Hitler invaded Poland on September 1, 1939. Simple, right? Well, like many events in history, there’s more complexity than we might think. In his 2009 book 1939: Countdown to War, British historian Richard Overy takes us through the final week before the invasion day by day. Even during those last days of August, there was still hope among many leaders in France and England that war could somehow be avoided.

Forming the backdrop for the events of 1939 was thWe all know how World War II started. Hitler invaded Poland on September 1, 1939. Simple, right? Well, like many events in history, there’s more complexity than we might think. In his 2009 book 1939: Countdown to War, British historian Richard Overy takes us through the final week before the invasion day by day. Even during those last days of August, there was still hope among many leaders in France and England that war could somehow be avoided.

Forming the backdrop for the events of 1939 was the Czechoslovakian crisis of 1938, which had ended with the Munich Agreement. British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain famously said of the Munich Agreement, “I believe it is peace for our time.” Chamberlain hoped that Hitler would be satisfied after Munich, but instead, Hitler made it clear that Germany wanted the Danzig Corridor, former German territory that had become part of Poland after the Treaty of Versailles. Poland allied itself militarily with France in England in 1939, and those two countries pledged to come to the aid of Poland if Germany invaded.

Throughout 1939: Countdown to War, Overy deftly explores the hour by hour diplomacy of the final week of peace. Overy makes it quite clear that Hitler never believed that France and England would actually keep their word to Poland. As always, Hitler used best case scenario reasoning to inform his planning. Since he thought that France and England wouldn’t actually fight him over Poland, then why not take Poland? Adding to Hitler’s hubris was the signing of the German-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact on August 23rd, which ensured that, for the moment, the Soviet Union would not enter into a war against Germany. Hitler thought he could have a local war with no other countries interfering. The Non-Aggression Pact emboldened Hitler to go ahead with the invasion of Poland, which was scheduled to begin on August 26th. However, Hitler soon canceled the invasion, which was then rescheduled for September 1st.

One thing I particularly enjoyed about 1939 was Overy’s nuanced portrait of Neville Chamberlain. Chamberlain’s historical reputation has ebbed and flowed, but I think in the minds of most people he remains the symbol of appeasement. Chamberlain remains fixed in memory as the man waving the paper saying “it is peace for our time,” in contrast to the pugnacious Winston Churchill saying “We will fight them on the beaches.” Of course, we in 2017 have the benefit of hindsight-we know that Chamberlain’s “peace in our time” will blow up in less than a year. But, as Overy shows, Chamberlain changed his mind about Hitler after Munich: “Neville Chamberlain is often painted as a man who searched for any way of evading conflict in 1939, but though he always thought peace preferable to war, he had few illusions about Hitler by the beginning of 1939. In March he described Hitler to a guest as ‘the blackest devil he had ever met.’” (p.15) Chamberlain was not going to back down if Germany invaded Poland, a point that he made clear in a letter he sent to Hitler on August 22, 1939.

Overy does an excellent job of describing the diplomatic exchanges among the countries during these days, and the back-channel attempts at brokering some kind of deal to avoid a war. There was hope on both sides that a major war could be avoided-some in England and France thought that standing firm would cause Hitler to back down, and Hitler remained stubbornly convinced that England and France would never honor their treaty obligations to Poland and actually fight.

Overy unearthed an odd attempt at back-channel diplomacy by Birger Dahlerus, a Swedish businessman who had connections to English diplomats and also to Hermann Göring. Dahlerus worked furiously to bring both sides together to broker a deal, and he met with Göring early in August, but was unsuccessful.

Even after the invasion of Poland on September 1st, there was still drama, as Chamberlain presented Hitler with an ultimatum demanding that German troops withdraw from Poland immediately. Originally, the ultimatum did not have a time limit, which left members of Parliament confused as to whether a state of war existed or not. A time limit was set for 11AM on September 3, 1939, and when there was no response from Germany; Chamberlain announced that England and Germany were at war. World War II had begun.

1939: Countdown to War is a slim volume, just 124 pages, not counting footnotes and index, but it tells the story of a momentous time in history, as Europe entered into another destructive war. ...more

In this book it is most stunning to think how much both the French and the British misread and misunderstood Hitler. Even though both countries had agents in Germany they appeared to have been totally blind to the military buildup and the eventual invasion of Poland. Both Chamberlain and the French Prime Minister were both advocates of peace and wary of conflict (given that WW I was so brutal for both countries). The really didn't want to go to war and they really felt that they were not going tIn this book it is most stunning to think how much both the French and the British misread and misunderstood Hitler. Even though both countries had agents in Germany they appeared to have been totally blind to the military buildup and the eventual invasion of Poland. Both Chamberlain and the French Prime Minister were both advocates of peace and wary of conflict (given that WW I was so brutal for both countries). The really didn't want to go to war and they really felt that they were not going to have to go to war...and that could be how they were caught so flat footed by Hitler. This book chronicles the events that led both Britain and France to finally declare war on Germany. But the fact they did so so reluctantly only makes you wonder what was going through their minds. This book gets into how that happened......more

Overy packs a great deal of analysis into this very short book, which covers the ten days between the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact and the outbreak of World War Two from the perspective of British, French, and German leaders. His argument is that in times of crisis leaders' thinking skills tend to be compromised and constricted by physical and mental exhaustion. After a week or so of confrontation, Chamberlain, Daladier, and Hitler became mentally "boxed in" and were unable to consider more than oneOvery packs a great deal of analysis into this very short book, which covers the ten days between the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact and the outbreak of World War Two from the perspective of British, French, and German leaders. His argument is that in times of crisis leaders' thinking skills tend to be compromised and constricted by physical and mental exhaustion. After a week or so of confrontation, Chamberlain, Daladier, and Hitler became mentally "boxed in" and were unable to consider more than one or two outcomes to each of their decisions. This helps explain why the former two men actually believed there was a chance Hitler would withdraw his troops from Poland after the Wehrmacht invaded: they were boxed into a "deterrent" mindset and thought their own preparations for war must somehow make the Germans blink, even after Hitler had made it clear that they wouldn't. Meanwhile, Hitler was willing to invade Poland because he'd convinced himself Britain and France would always back down - he was quite shocked by their declarations of war, and the German people entered World War Two without any initial idea that it was a necessary conflict (whereas the British and French were willing to fight to preserve the status quo)....more

It's not necessarily that this is a bad book, but rather that Overy has already written The Road to War, an excellent work offering a much broader investigation of the leadup to war. (Both in terms of the period covered and the nations involved.)

1939 presents a more focused view, narrowing in on a handful of events for a trio of actors. [Germany, Great Britain, and France. Poland gets a bit of discussion, but as they were largely a passive actor in terms of whether it would be a local war or aIt's not necessarily that this is a bad book, but rather that Overy has already written The Road to War, an excellent work offering a much broader investigation of the leadup to war. (Both in terms of the period covered and the nations involved.)

1939 presents a more focused view, narrowing in on a handful of events for a trio of actors. [Germany, Great Britain, and France. Poland gets a bit of discussion, but as they were largely a passive actor in terms of whether it would be a local war or a global one, their actions are primarily presented in relation to the other three.] Though more fine-grained at times than Road, I'd certainly recommend the latter before this book. In the end, I'd say that this work feels somewhat superfluous, and is for those who already know the general overview but want a detailed accounting of the actions taken in those final days....more

Overy, in straightforward and highly readable prose, presents the case that there was more to the belligerency of 1939 that led to WWII than just Hitler and Stalin's ambitions. While not breaking new ground, Overy's book serves an important purpose in informing the public that Poland was not an entirely innocent victim of Nazi and Soviet aggression. A European middle-power in its own right, Poland annexed its own slice of the Czechoslovakian pie at the same time that Germany was applying the scrOvery, in straightforward and highly readable prose, presents the case that there was more to the belligerency of 1939 that led to WWII than just Hitler and Stalin's ambitions. While not breaking new ground, Overy's book serves an important purpose in informing the public that Poland was not an entirely innocent victim of Nazi and Soviet aggression. A European middle-power in its own right, Poland annexed its own slice of the Czechoslovakian pie at the same time that Germany was applying the screws to Prague. Buoyed by military successes against the Soviet Union during the interwar period, Poland all but refused to sit at the negotiating table with Hitler or Stalin. Poland's interwar conduct is often forgotten in the public consciousness, an ignorance which creates false ideas about the causes of WWII (this misinterpretation is perhaps best represented in the labeling of the Second World War as 'Hitler's War'). ...more

This slim volume focuses with heart-in-mouth breathlessness on the scant few days between August 24 and September 3, 1939, when Germany, Poland, the Soviet Union, Great Britain, and France teeter on the brink of a war that is to be far larger than the one Hitler originally wanted. Overy lays out, with great precision, the back story of Hitler’s frustrated push for a war with Czechoslovakia the year before, and his eagerness to reclaim the land he believes was unfairly appropriated for Poland du This slim volume focuses with heart-in-mouth breathlessness on the scant few days between August 24 and September 3, 1939, when Germany, Poland, the Soviet Union, Great Britain, and France teeter on the brink of a war that is to be far larger than the one Hitler originally wanted. Overy lays out, with great precision, the back story of Hitler’s frustrated push for a war with Czechoslovakia the year before, and his eagerness to reclaim the land he believes was unfairly appropriated for Poland during the Great War. He appears to want a “limited war;” what he gets is an alliance between Great Britain and France, sworn to come to Poland’s aid, and events that spiral out of hand even as elder statesmen bring all of their diplomatic skills to bear to avoid a Second World War. We know how this one ends, but it doesn’t diminish the day-by day retelling, and the vain hope that the reader can somehow avert all-out war....more

The build-up to the outbreak of war in 1939 is normally told as a long, slow – and seemingly inevitable – descent into conflict that began with Hitler’s rise to power. In “1939: Countdown to War”, Richard Overy tells the story of the last ten days of the conflict. It is a gripping tale of brinkmanship that reminds us that the past is never scripted, and that hindsight never helps the historian.

By the end of August, Hitler was convinced that the French and the British would “chicken out” from comThe build-up to the outbreak of war in 1939 is normally told as a long, slow – and seemingly inevitable – descent into conflict that began with Hitler’s rise to power. In “1939: Countdown to War”, Richard Overy tells the story of the last ten days of the conflict. It is a gripping tale of brinkmanship that reminds us that the past is never scripted, and that hindsight never helps the historian.

By the end of August, Hitler was convinced that the French and the British would “chicken out” from coming to Poland’s aid; but when Neville Henderson, the British Ambassador in Berlin, delivered the ultimatum on 3 September Overy tells us that Hitler “turned to Ribbentropp with a savage look and asked, “What now?”

It is with many such telling insights that Overy brings the drama alive. Far from chickening out, the exhausted British leadership had realised that the time had come.

Only two decades after the end of one global conflict, there was no choice but to start another. ...more

I'm fascinated right now with this period in history - the lead up to WWII. Richard Overy's book provides a clear, concise, and well-referenced description of the five days before Nazi Germany's invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939. Overy provides the reader with a non-judgemental, transparent view into the negotiations and attempts made by the French and English to stop Hitler from seizing Poland, and also gives equal footing to the German side, to the in-fighting among Nazi leadership and dI'm fascinated right now with this period in history - the lead up to WWII. Richard Overy's book provides a clear, concise, and well-referenced description of the five days before Nazi Germany's invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939. Overy provides the reader with a non-judgemental, transparent view into the negotiations and attempts made by the French and English to stop Hitler from seizing Poland, and also gives equal footing to the German side, to the in-fighting among Nazi leadership and doubts about keeping the war in Poland "localized." But of course this was not the case. Overy's book reminds us once again how world history is not shaped by gigantic movements, but incremental ones. ...more

An excellent short book which detailed the tumultuous events which led up to the outbreak of war in September 1939.Richard Overy, an outstanding historian of this period, has made use of his extensive knowledge, obtained from years of thorough research, to spell out in great detail just how war became inevitable once Hitler had shown his determination to annexe both Danzig and the Polish corridor.This is a fine and utterly invaluable work for anyone who wishes to understand why the Second WorldAn excellent short book which detailed the tumultuous events which led up to the outbreak of war in September 1939.Richard Overy, an outstanding historian of this period, has made use of his extensive knowledge, obtained from years of thorough research, to spell out in great detail just how war became inevitable once Hitler had shown his determination to annexe both Danzig and the Polish corridor.This is a fine and utterly invaluable work for anyone who wishes to understand why the Second World War broke out.

Quick read about the last 10 days before the beginning of ww2. All the diplomatic and military intrigues as the face off over poland was set up and then crumbled down upon Europe is told day by day with a startling level of uncertainty as to why in the end the war was undertaken. At its great, hitler did not believe Britain and France would ever fight; and Britain and France believed that honor required at long last that they engage Germany directly. But they didn't until later. It's one more exQuick read about the last 10 days before the beginning of ww2. All the diplomatic and military intrigues as the face off over poland was set up and then crumbled down upon Europe is told day by day with a startling level of uncertainty as to why in the end the war was undertaken. At its great, hitler did not believe Britain and France would ever fight; and Britain and France believed that honor required at long last that they engage Germany directly. But they didn't until later. It's one more example of how different history looks in real time than in hindsight. What it must have been like to follow the news in those treacherous panicky days!

Sometimes it's probably nice to be short. Other times being short might only seem nice, but detracts from being good. Without further context, one might get the idea here that Hitler was looking for an easy way to get, or carve up, Poland, and that once he had succeeded in that effort, all would be well and life could go on with a, now, sated Germany. I'm sorry but there seems little evidence to support that in any histories I've ever read - Hitler was not going to be happy until he had it all.

I appreciated the concise and detailed account of the weeks leading up to WWII… with the large cast of characters is was easy to mix up who's who so I would have preferred a detailed index or cheat sheet of the various players from each country, but overall this was a great read, especially for Americans who often forget about the European origins of the war… Also important to understand the way these weeks shaped ideologies of cold warriors of the 1950's & 1960's

This book reads like a single ominous antebellum drumbeat that gets more hair-raising as it goes along and actually induced chills at the start of war. The details are positively fascinating in that a) wow, all this went down! and b) all that went down is known in history! This is quite a valuable book from which a great many lessons can be derived. An important experience.

1939: Count down to War by Richard Overy was a concise history of the last two weeks of August before the Second World War broke out. It's mostly a history of diplomacy. Overy is very good at narrating the multiple prongs of the many attempts at avoiding - what was perceived - an unnecessary war. The war was unavoidable - probably. This history shows why and how.

I was looking for a factual book on this very subject and this book sufficed. It was a little "wordy" but the main points of the causes of WW2, for what it was, are here. There may be better books but I chose this one - in my research of WW2, specifically the Holocaust.

I learned so much, including the fact that the author include such small details in the description of a subject of such huge import. I enjoyed the writing style. It flows like a lucid narrative and helps me understand complicated events with many moving parts and actors.

Concise, clear, and complex: an approachable and detailed look at the weeks preceding the start of the Second World War. Brief (barely more than a hundred pages in the paperback edition) but tightly focused.

I wish I could say I really enjoyed reading this ten day countdown to World War II, but for reasons unrelated to its content it was just too much work.

Also for those same reasons I can't comment whether this book deserves the fourth star I'm withholding now.

1939: Countdown to War (1939 Nedräkningen till andra världskriget) isn't an easy read in any language. Its focus is too narrow for any casual reader for the devil truly is in the details. By concentrating solely on the last days of peace andI wish I could say I really enjoyed reading this ten day countdown to World War II, but for reasons unrelated to its content it was just too much work.

Also for those same reasons I can't comment whether this book deserves the fourth star I'm withholding now.

1939: Countdown to War (1939 Nedräkningen till andra världskriget) isn't an easy read in any language. Its focus is too narrow for any casual reader for the devil truly is in the details. By concentrating solely on the last days of peace and on the intricate diplomatic choreography played on the stage of European politics, Overy underlines just how painfully human this tragedy is.

People don't start because they're angry and yelling at each other, because that still counts as dialogue. People start wars when the lines of communication are broken down, reliable intelligence is unavailable and fear for the worst takes over in the wake of unforeseeable circumstances, as the author points out.

This and other insights hidden within the pages challenge the reader to think and take a step closer to those people who more than seventy years ago faced a another Great War in their life time. Few held on to the illusion of honourable war, but they were all innocent in comparison with us for they hadn't grown up being taught about the horrors of the Holocaust.

That's another kind of tragedy; the more you already know about the Second World War and especially about the events leading up to it, the more you'll get out of reading this book.

It doesn't give you all the answers to the how or why but it pushes you to the brink, so you can discover the answers for yourself....more

"It is evil things that we will be fighting against—brute force, bad faith, injustice, oppression and persecution—and against them I am certain that the right will prevail." Neville Chamberlain 1939

This is a great short book on the last year before World War II started. It ends with Great Britain's declaration of war, calling Hitler's bluff.

What I found fascinating is the failure in intelligence on both countries. Britain thought they could get Hitler to back down from his bullying and Hitler th"It is evil things that we will be fighting against—brute force, bad faith, injustice, oppression and persecution—and against them I am certain that the right will prevail." Neville Chamberlain 1939

This is a great short book on the last year before World War II started. It ends with Great Britain's declaration of war, calling Hitler's bluff.

What I found fascinating is the failure in intelligence on both countries. Britain thought they could get Hitler to back down from his bullying and Hitler thought that Great Britain would never fight for Poland or involve themselves in another world war. Obviously, neither were correct in their assumptions.

Chamberlain is given the benefit of the doubt on his leadership. Mr. Overy believes that he did the best he could and that you can't judge him from 20/20 hindsight. Were there things that should have been handled differently? Of course, but Hitler seemed determined to take over Europe no matter what and therefore war was inevitable.

Anyone with a love of history or World War II will enjoy this book. It has a very narrow premise but succeeds very well. ...more

This is an excellent little book on what really took place those last few days when it seemed like there was an option whether to go to war with Hitler Germany or not. It's amazing how much Overy could press in to those few pages. All the important information is there, the conversations, what document was sent where and who was present at what meeting. Since the book is so intense and full of names and events, you can not really put the book down since then you will forget who is who and what'sThis is an excellent little book on what really took place those last few days when it seemed like there was an option whether to go to war with Hitler Germany or not. It's amazing how much Overy could press in to those few pages. All the important information is there, the conversations, what document was sent where and who was present at what meeting. Since the book is so intense and full of names and events, you can not really put the book down since then you will forget who is who and what's happened. The book is only 124 pages long with the rest of the pages being notes and index. I did not pay attention to this fact so I was a little bit surprised and a little bit sceptic before starting reading the book. But is shows that one doesn't have to waste words....more

I'm no history buff, but I do have an interest in history when it's well written, and this was certainly the kind of history that did interest me. I had no inkling of the politics that lay behind the build-up to the invasion of Poland, nor was I aware that Hitler's real ambition was only to invade Poland in what he called a local war rather than taking on all of Europe. This is a great read for novice history readers like myself. I understand from reading other's reviews that the author has doneI'm no history buff, but I do have an interest in history when it's well written, and this was certainly the kind of history that did interest me. I had no inkling of the politics that lay behind the build-up to the invasion of Poland, nor was I aware that Hitler's real ambition was only to invade Poland in what he called a local war rather than taking on all of Europe. This is a great read for novice history readers like myself. I understand from reading other's reviews that the author has done a longer work on the subject, and after reading this I might give that a try. This was a good way to introduce myself to the subject. ...more

Very well written account of the events leading up to the invasion of Poland and the declaration of war declared by both Great Britain and France. It is well worth the read, especially since it is a short 124 pages.

It is a great look into the diplomacy of the time which is often hard to find amongst the hundreds of World War 2 books focused on military strategy and events.

I particularly enjoyed the book due to the picture it paints of Prime Minister Chamberlain. He is often depicted as a weak puVery well written account of the events leading up to the invasion of Poland and the declaration of war declared by both Great Britain and France. It is well worth the read, especially since it is a short 124 pages.

It is a great look into the diplomacy of the time which is often hard to find amongst the hundreds of World War 2 books focused on military strategy and events.

I particularly enjoyed the book due to the picture it paints of Prime Minister Chamberlain. He is often depicted as a weak push over that bent to Hitler's will, but here Chamberlain is depicted as a man with principles who stands up for what he believes in even if that means going to war....more

This book was a fast read, and a solid background to the last days of peace in August, 1939. It moved well, and portrayed all the leading Allied statesmen of the time in both positive and negative light (I say Allied because it is hard to make Hitler's drive to war seem anything but reckless and predatory).

I think that Overy kind of overplays the role of contigency in his analysis, and ultimately ends on an unsatisfying note. Yes, the British and French postured, and hoped that they could projeThis book was a fast read, and a solid background to the last days of peace in August, 1939. It moved well, and portrayed all the leading Allied statesmen of the time in both positive and negative light (I say Allied because it is hard to make Hitler's drive to war seem anything but reckless and predatory).

I think that Overy kind of overplays the role of contigency in his analysis, and ultimately ends on an unsatisfying note. Yes, the British and French postured, and hoped that they could project strength and thus avoid war, but they were ultimately forced into war by German actions.